


Wedding Bells

by Dahlia_Rose_83



Series: friendship [8]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-11-29 11:14:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11439687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dahlia_Rose_83/pseuds/Dahlia_Rose_83
Summary: Time for a Mystic Falls wedding.





	Wedding Bells

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so firstly I know nothing about weddings. Aside from what I've seen on TV. I think the last one I've been to myself was about 20 years ago. So please bear with me if I wrote complete crap here. I did my best.
> 
> Secondly, this is the last part of this series (for now?). Maybe I'll get another idea, but for now I think I'm done with it. Still, never say never, right?

Damon stood at the window, looking down at the hassle in the backyard. Matt and Jeremy were putting the finishing touches on the decorations, under Bonnie's watchful eye, while Stefan greeted the guests and led them to their seats. The dark-haired vampire turned away with a frown and went back to the large mirror in the far corner, checking his appearance. He fixed his tie, surprised to discover that he actually felt a little nervous.

He turned around when the door opened and let his eyes roam over Alaric's broad frame appreciatively. Ric looked damn hot in his dark suit, there was no doubt about it. Even if Damon really wanted to rip that suit off him right now.

"Can you help me?" the teacher's voice cut through his musings. A little helplessly he pointed to his tie, which wasn't done properly.

With a smile Damon loosened the tie and bound it correctly. "Are you by any chance nervous? I know you don't wear suits very often, but usually you manage to do your own tie." he teased.  
Ric smiled wryly. "Maybe I'm a little excited. But it is a big day."

The dark-haired vampire hummed in agreement, while he fixed the tie. Once it looked perfect, he let his hands wander over his boyfriend's broad chest and gave him a sultry look. "How much time do we have until the ceremony?"

"Not nearly enough. So behave yourself." Alaric warned.  
The older vampire let his hands fall to his sides and pouted. "Spoilsport. They can't really start without us."

Ric chuckled. "One of us has to act like a responsible adult every now and then. And today isn't about us." he reminded.  
"I know that it isn't. Doesn't change the fact that they need us."

The teacher snorted, but Damon ignored him. "Alright, then I'll go and look how the bride is doing. And you can ply the groom with alcohol or whatever a best man is supposed to do." he decided.

"Well, my best man did get me drunk before the wedding. I can't really recommend it. Though I don't think I would have made it through the ceremony while sober. On the other hand, it might've been better if I'd keeled over in front of the altar." Ric mumbled more to himself.

"Hey, thanks to your failed marriage you met me." Damon reminded.

"You're right. That means at least something good came of it." the teacher agreed, before dropping a quick kiss onto his lips and hurrying out of the room. It wouldn't do to get caught up in each other and miss the wedding. Caroline would most likely castrate them if they arrived even a minute late.

Damon watched him go with a grin. After checking his appearance in the mirror one last time he left the room as well, strolling down the corridor and finally stopping in front of another door. He knocked and only had to wait a few seconds until the door was opened and Caroline peeked out. When she spied him she breathed a sigh of relief and pulled him into the room with a muttered: "It's only you."

"What do you mean, only me? Rude." the dark-haired vampire complained, but she ignored him and went back over to her mother, who was sitting in front of a mirror.

Liz shot him an apologetic smile, while Caroline continued to do her make-up. Her currently shoulderlength hair had been done up in a fancy bun and she was already wearing her white wedding dress. It clung to her upper body, but flowed out from the waist, pooling around her feet. The top was covered in lace and the short sleeves were made completely of lace. It looked elegant and classy. Like it had been made strictly for her.

After what felt like an eternity the blonde vampire was finally done and took a step back to admire her work. "Okay, your make-up is all done and so is your hair. Let's go through this. You've got something old, right?"  
Liz pointed to the diamond ring on her finger. "The engagement ring of Sean's grandmother."

Her daughter nodded with a smile. "And you've got something blue." she continued, glancing at the bouquet of flowers on a nearby table - white roses and blue lilies. "And here is your something borrowed." With these words she pulled a delicate gold necklace with a tiny heart out of her purse. 

"I gave you that for your sixteenth birthday." Liz remembered.

"You did. And I absolutely love this necklace. Which is why I want it back. But for today, you can borrow it." Caroline explained with a smile, before helping her mother put it on. For a moment they seemed lost in their own world, holding onto each other and Damon felt like an intruder. He was glad when Caroline finally turned to look at him. "The only thing missing is something new."

"That's my clue, then." he quipped, pulling a little box out of his pocket. "A present for the beautiful bride. From Ric and me. Don't worry, we also bought Sean a watch." he let her know. 

Liz opened the box and gasped in surprise when she spied the golden earrings, set with little diamonds. "Damon, they're beautiful. Thank you." With trembling fingers she put them on and Caroline nodded in approval when they matched with her necklace.

"I guess that's everything then." the blonde vampire commented, looking at her watch. "I'll just skip downstairs to see if everything is going as planned. The ceremony is supposed to start in about fifteen minutes. You'll be okay without me?" she checked.

"I'll be fine. I've got Damon here." Liz reminded.  
That fact didn't seem to comfort Caroline, who gave the older vampire a stern look. "Don't you dare let the groom in here, understood? And don't make her cry. It would ruin the make-up and we've got no time to fix it."

Damon held up his hands in surrender and promised to behave. Once she had left the room he rolled his eyes. "I wonder where she gets that commando tone from."

Liz smirked. "I have no idea. Must be Bill's influence." she claimed.  
"Hmm, I bet." the vampire agreed with a matching smirk.   
The blonde turned back to the mirror, looking at herself critically. She seemed nervous all of a sudden.

"Nervous?" Damon asked.  
"You have no idea. I'm really not sure why I'm doing this to myself again." she admitted quietly.  
"Well, it's not too late to run away with me."

 

Damon's words had the desired effect. Liz relaxed a bit and laughed. "Tempting. But I think I'll pass. I know how vengeful Alaric can get."

"Yeah, he's the jealous type. That's true." the vampire agreed with a grin, before sobering. "But really, Liz. If you have doubts you can still call the whole thing off."

"I know. But I don't have any doubts. Honestly. I love Sean and I want this. I'm just nervous." she murmured.

"There's no reason. You look stunning. You're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen."  
The compliment made her blush, but Damon wasn't done yet.  
"Sean adores you, Liz. And rightly so. It'll all go smoothly. I mean, you're daughter organized the whole thing. You're annoyingly perfect, control freak vampire daughter. Nothing can go wrong."

Liz laughed again. "You're right." Caroline had driven her nuts with the preparations. Between her daughter, who wanted everything to be just perfect and Carol Lockwood, who wanted to turn the wedding into a big, social event, Liz and Sean had pondered just eloping. Of course they hadn't. In the end the desire to share this day with their friends and family had been greater than their annoyance.

"How did it go with the future in-laws, by the way?" Damon wanted to know.

Sean's father Eric and his wife Mathilda had arrived two days ago. Liz had been awaiting the meeting with mixed feelings. On one hand it was nice to finally meet Sean's family. On the other hand she remembered the trouble with Bill's family all too well and was afraid she wouldn't get along with her new in-laws either.

"It went surprisingly well. They were really nice and friendly and we got along really good. I must admit, I was a little scared how Mathilda would react to the many vampires in attendance. Witches and vampires don't always get along and she had some bad experience from what Sean told me. But she really took it in stride and assured me that she trusts Sean's judgement."

"Sounds good. So I don't have to fear a witchy aneurysm during the ceremony, yeah?" the vampire prodded.  
"She lost her magic a while ago, Damon." Liz reminded.  
"Not reassuring, Liz. So she could pump me full of vervain?"  
The blonde rolled her eyes. "She won't harm you. Unless you plan on pulling some stupid stunt."  
"Me? Never! Liz, what are you thinking? Have I ever pulled a stupid stunt before?"

The return of Caroline saved her from answering that one. Although she never had a problem calling Damon on his bullshit. The blonde vampire looked them over critically and then nodded, obviously satisfied that her mother didn't seem weepy and the make-up was still fine. 

"It's all going according to plan. If you're ready, we can start." she said with a smile.  
For a second Liz felt slightly nauseous, before getting a grip on herself. She had been looking forward to this day for weeks, she reminded herself. So she took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm ready."

Caroline handed her the bouquet and led them downstairs, where Bonnie and Elena were already waiting. Like Caroline they were wearing flowing, sleeveless dresses in a light blue color. Damon had criticized them earlier for trying to outshine the bride and reminded them that bridesmaid dresses were supposed to be ugly. But looking at Liz now, who seemed to be glowing from within, he doubted anyone would be able to take his eyes off her.

Caroline nodded to the guy at the stereo and soft music filled the air. The girls got in line and started walking down the aisle.   
"Ready?" Damon asked. Liz nodded and took his arm.

He'd been extremely flattered and also a little taken aback when she had asked him of all people to lead her down the aisle. Her parents were already dead and Caroline was her bridesmaid, so Damon had been her first choice. He'd said yes immediately.

They walked down the aisle slowly and just like expected all eyes were on the beaming bride. Sean was grinning from ear to ear and seemed unable to understand how he'd gotten so lucky. Alaric, the best man, was smiling as well. The groomsmen were completed by Tyler and Matt. While Matt had started his training at the sheriff's department, Tyler had now joined the firefighters. Sean had taken the hybrid under his wing and was quickly becoming a father figure for him.

When they reached the altar, Damon kissed Liz on the cheek and then took his seat in the first row. Once the minister started his speech, he tuned out. The whole ceremony and all that blathering didn't interest him. Liz and Sean had written their own vows and he had heard them both so often over the last two weeks that he'd memorized them by now. So instead of paying attention to the ceremony, he watched the people in attendance.

Caroline, Bonnie and Elena were smiling and a little weepy. About halfway into the ceremony they started crying one after another. Of course Caroline was prepared and started handing out tissues. Alaric looked a little weepy himself and Damon decided to tease him about that later. Matt on the other hand looked stoic, while Tyler seemed to feel uncomfortable in his suit. He kept fidgeting with his tie.

Damon let his eyes wander further. Despite Carol's best efforts to turn the wedding of their sheriff and their chief firefighter into a big affair, Liz and Sean had chosen a quiet wedding with only few guests. Next to Damon was Stefan, who watched the proceedings with a smile. The older Salvatore was glad to see his brother looking so happy and relaxed. He was less happy at the fact that he partly had Katherine to thank for that.

The brunette sat at Stefan's left, holding his hand. She was wearing a surprisingly plain yellow dress and her long locks were open and flowing over her shoulders. A small smile played about her lips as well, but for once it looked genuine instead of calculating. So far she was behaving rather well. Damon had watched her closely, ever since she and Stefan had gotten back together, but he'd found nothing suspicious. If she was playing games yet again (which he still thought might be the case) she didn't let on.

Of course their relationship had caused quite a stir. Okay, so almost no-one had been surprised about Elena being adopted. Mystic Falls was a small town after all and Miranda Gilbert wouldn't have been able to hide a pregnancy for nine months. But no-one had ever confronted the Gilberts about it. So when Elena had made it public, it hadn't caused the expected scandal.

The sudden arrival of her younger half-sister (because of course Katherine had to claim she was younger), who looked almost identical to Elena had caused a lot more uproar. Since it had worked so well before, Katherine had again claimed to be an orphan and made herself at home at the boarding house. Much to Damon's annoyance. 

Stefan had insisted on keeping their relationship secret for a few more weeks. When he finally had made it public, there had been a lot of talk. Everyone knew that Stefan had dated Elena for a few years and that she had ended the relationship. And now he was suddenly dating her sister, who looked so much like her. The fact that both sisters didn't really seem to like each other much only added fuel to the rumors. Damon had been rather amused by the whole thing. But now after almost six months it was yesterday's news and no-one seemed all that interested anymore.

On Damon's right sat Enzo, who had only gotten a first row seat thanks to his relationship with Bonnie. He wasn't really close to Liz or Sean. Usually he spent his free time (while he wasn't with his little witch) with Damon and - surprisingly enough - Jeremy. Even Bonnie had been surprised how well her new boyfriend got along with her ex and no-one really understood what those two had in common.

Unlike most of the other guests, who were either very concentrated on the ceremony or watching the bride and groom with a smile, Enzo had eyes only for Bonnie. Didn't he always. Those two were so in love it was nearly sickening. Enzo had even started talking about marriage lately, probably inspired by Liz and Sean. Damon was sure that the witch would say yes. And even if it had seemed like a completely impossible option only a few years ago, by now he was also pretty sure that Bon-Bon would become a vampire one day. True love changed a lot of things.

Next to Enzo was Jeremy, who was still pursuing his art studies, while simultaneously being trained by Alaric in the art of vampire hunting. He sometimes accompanied Damon and Ric when they went on a hunt, much to Elena's dismay. She was always worrying about her baby brother and didn't think the two vampires were capable of protecting him. Thankfully she hadn't noticed that he and Enzo had been hunting down a few vampires who had wreaked havoc at his college last week. She would've freaked.

On the other side of the isle were Sean's dad and stepmother, along with Carol Lockwood and Rudy Hopkins, Bonnie's dad. The mayor still seemed upset that she hadn't gotten her big society wedding, even if she tried her best not to show it. Mr. Hopkins was watching his daughter with a wistful smile. Damon wasn't sure if he was only marveling at how pretty she had grown up to be or if he was already imagining her standing at the altar with Enzo.

A few colleagues of both Liz and Sean, some distant relatives and a handful of friends made up the rest of the guests. Damon had been very happy when Liz hadn't invited the whole town council, despite Carol's protests. Aside from the mayor and Mr. Hopkins only Meredith Fell had gotten an invite.

The vampire was shaken from his thoughts when the people around him started cheering and clapping. He looked to the front just in time to see Liz and Sean break their kiss. The ceremony was over. Thank god. Time for the party.

A little way off a tent had been set up, with tables and chairs. The catering-firm had made a large buffet, where the guests could get what they wanted. When everyone was done, Liz and Sean cut the wedding cake. Caroline had insisted on a towering masterpiece, covered in white and blue frosting and large enough to feed half of Mystic Falls. Damon feared that a lot of it would somehow end up in his freezer.

Once everyone was stuffed with food and cake, it was time for the speeches and congratulations. Alaric had to go first and was really nervous about it. Damon knew only too well how much the teacher hated giving speeches. But since he was the best man, it was his duty. With a resigned sigh he got up and waited until everyone had fallen silent.

"I'm not really good with speeches. I guess you all know that. Unfortunately I hadn't thought of it when I agreed to be Sean's best man."  
Everyone laughed and the teacher relaxed a bit.

"I don't want to bore you, so I'll cut this pretty short. Not much to say anyway, is there? I mean, Sean's a great guy. You all know that. I think once you get to know him, you just have to like him. No way around it, really. He's loyal, courageous and funny. A win for our town, don't you think?"

There were murmurs of agreement and nods all around. Alaric turned to look directly at his friend. "I'm really happy that you found the One. You're a great couple and I wish you all the best. You deserve true happiness. To Liz and Sean!"

Everyone raised their glasses and drank to the bride and groom. Alaric breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down, glad to have it over with. Damon leaned against him for a moment and gave him a proud smile.

Sean's father was next. He talked about his son for a few minutes and by the time he was done everyone was laughing so hard they had tears streaming down their faces. Sean had obviously inherited his dry humor from his dad. 

Then it was Caroline's turn: "My mother is the best mom anyone could ask for. True, we had our differences in the past, but she was always there for me when I needed her. I want to thank you, for accepting me the way I am, with all my weaknesses and faults. Thank you for always being there for me and having my back and for everything you do for me. I can't tell you how happy I am that you found Sean. I always hoped that one day you would find someone who loves you unconditionally. Who would do anything for you. Because you're amazing and you don't deserve any less. And I hope you'll be insanely happy together."

When she had finished she looked about ready to cry and a few tears were rolling down Liz' cheeks as well. Mother and daughter hugged, before the blonde vampire took her seat again and it was Damon's turn. He had worked on his speech for days, written countless versions and ripped them up again. Finding the right words had seemed impossible. But when he got up now, the words suddenly came naturally.

"When I came to Mystic Falls, Liz was one of the first people I met. And I'm glad about that. I'm glad I had the fortune to get to know this remarkable woman and even more glad to call her my friend. We've been through quite a bit together, haven't we?"

The blonde nodded with a wry smile and he continued:  
"The devotion you put into protecting our town never ceases to amaze me. The courage, which makes you face every challenge head on. You always give me the feeling that there is no problem we can't solve. You never give up. I really admire that about you, Liz. You're always there for anyone who needs you. You always put others first. So I'm really happy that you found Sean, who will always put you first. Because that is what you deserve. So I raise my glass to a dedicated sheriff, a loving mother and an amazing friend. To Liz. And Sean, of course."

Once again everyone drank to the bride and groom and Damon noticed with some surprise that Liz had shed a few more tears. But she was smiling at him, so he smiled back.

"Well done." Alaric whispered to him. "But I think it's highly unfair that you outshone me, despite the fact that you haven't really written a speech beforehand."  
"What can I say? I'm just awesome." Damon whispered back with a grin.

After a few more speeches, from Carol Lockwood among others, it was time for the first dance of the newlywed couple. The chairs and altar had been cleared away by now and replaced by a dancefloor. Just like Damon expected, everything went smoothly. If there was one thing Caroline Forbes excelled at, it was planning parties.

Among the applause of the crowd Liz and Sean started the first dance. It didn't take long until others joined in. Bonnie and Enzo were the first, quickly joined by Elena and Matt, Katherine and Stefan as well as Caroline and Tyler. The hybrid had shed his jacket and tie and looked a lot more relaxed now. Damon watched the swaying couples from the sideline, until Alaric held out his hand. "Shall we?" With a grin the dark-haired vampire took the offered hand and even allowed his boyfriend to lead. This time.

While Ric retreated to the sideline soon enough, Damon shared the next dance with Liz and the next one with Elena. The brunette was very emotional and kept babbling about their dance at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant, which seemed a lifetime ago now. 

A little while later Caroline took her place and thanked Damon for his speech. "It was really beautiful and I know that it meant a lot to mom." she murmured.  
"Well, you're speech wasn't half-bad either."  
Caroline accepted the rare compliment with a giggle and allowed the older vampire to twirl her around.

The party went on long into the night. Once it got dark, thousands of tiny fairy lights turned the garden into a wonderland. There was still quiet music playing in the background and some couples dancing. Liz had long since claimed a chair and was complaining about her feet hurting. Almost everyone had wanted at least one dance with the bride. The party was slowly winding down when Caroline remembered that her mother had yet to toss the bouquet.

Urged on by her daughter, Liz took her place on top of the stairs leading into the garden, while the unmarried women gathered at the bottom of the stairs. There was some jostling and a lot of cheering from the crowd, when the bouquet took flight. It landed right in Bonnie's arms, who promptly blushed upon catching it. Enzo watched her with a calculating smile.

"Looks like we'll have another wedding soon." Damon commented.  
"Yep. Luckily I'll have nothing to do with that one." Alaric said with some relief.  
Damon on the other was pretty sure he would get roped into it again. Who else would Enzo ask to be his best man after all?  
"Well, at least it also means another bachelor party." he mused.

Sean's bachelor party had been a huge success. They had roped his colleagues from the fire department into helping and staged an emergency call. But instead of a fire, Sean had found his friends, lots of drinks and half a dozen strippers in the old, abandoned farmhouse. It had been a very memorable night.

At first Ric hadn't been so sure about the strippers, but once Bonnie had assured them that Caroline had booked two male strippers for her mom's party, he had agreed. The witch had also sent Damon a picture of a rather drunk Carol Lockwood, receiving a lap dance from a tall guy who was only wearing a G-string and a police cap. The vampire had kept the picture as insurance, should he ever need to blackmail their mayor.

Now that the bouquet had been tossed and Caroline had therefore happily made sure that every cliché was fulfilled, the first guests started leaving. Liz and Sean would start their honeymoon two days later. Sean's dad had gifted them a trip to Paris. Damon and Ric had promised to take care of every supernatural catastrophe while they were away and assured the sheriff that she really deserved a break. 

Long after the last guests had finally left, Damon and Alaric fell into bed together. It had been a long and tiring day and tomorrow they would have to clean up. At least they wouldn't be alone, since Caroline had enlisted quite a few helpers. Small consolation, though.

"I really hope the next wedding takes place somewhere else." Damon grumbled.  
"Me too. But I've got to remind you that you were the one who offered the boarding house to Liz."  
"I did. But I had no idea how much trouble it would be."  
"Well, now you know better." Alaric reassured him. Even if he was sure that Damon would say yes in a heartbeat, should any of their friends want to get married here. He really was a big softie at heart.

"At least it all went smoothly. And peacefully." the teacher muttered with some surprise.  
"Got to hand it to vampire Barbie - she plans parties like no other."  
"She does. And the monsters took a break, too."

Because there really weren't many quiet days in Mystic Falls and events without chaos were a rare occurrence. He couldn't remember one school party that hadn't somehow been overshadowed by homicidal vampires or rabid hybrids. But it looked like even the supernatural had taken a break today. Still, Ric was pretty sure that they would have to face some supernatural danger by the end of the week. Maybe even sooner. On the other hand, he wouldn't have it any other way. It kept life from getting dull.


End file.
